Who was more athletically gifted, Prime Roy Jones or Prime Pacquiao?

IMO RJJ greatest advantage was his superhuman reflexes (not to be confused with skills). When he got a bit older and they started to slow, his lack of fundamental defence was exposed and he started getting hit far too often and getting beaten by people who would have never touched him in his prime. Athletically a prime RJJ had not peer, skill wise I have Pac edging him a touch, Power to RJJ as Pac was more breakdown his opponent via an accumulation of punches that 1 punch KO.

 

Pac is more talented than Roid Jones................

 

I actually think PAC was more “athletic.”

Jones simply had unnatural reflexes. And we all saw how he changed once they became less than elite. The speed in which he engaged/reacted was breathtaking.

Both men made historic rises through weight classes, but Jones had good natural size to carry himself up. PAC is tiny above 140.

Definitely two of the most impressive physical specimens to ever step foot in a ring.

 

Prime Roy is in the mix as one of the GOAT. Pacquiao is not. Pac is a Hall of fame fighter no doubt a hell of a Champion. Prime Roy was a different level.

 

RJJ is more athletic. He could thrive in multiple sports. AJ would rank higher than Pac athletically too.

Manny had more fighting spirit than Roy.

 

Never before Jones has such a highly revered fighter feasted on such ordinary challengers.He could have done the jitterbug and gotten away with it against such competition.Sure he had grasshopper thighs but his "talent" seemingly disappeared on the nights Tarver shared the same ring as him.

 

Could you expand on that you unzipped scatterbrain?

 

Yeah and Ray leonard just magically lost his talent against terry Norris. Sure.

Roy had clearly been in decline for years before he lost to tarver.

Disintamaged hands. Throwing less punches, legs slowing down, spending more time on the ropes and the corner. Getting his eye busted up by the likes of clinton woods in 2002

Max kellerman after reviewing the RJJ vs Gonzalez fight on friday night fights in 2001: roy jones proved that he is no longer the same fighter

 

Jones was only 34 when he fought Tarver for the first time. I think his loss had more to do with Tarver's abilities and less with what a certain urban hosanna thought.And since Jones fought such weak competition during his "prime", how can anyone say he was that good. Only Toney had decent credentials and his flat footed, immobile style was tailor made for the grasshopper.He paid dearly for his foolery when the competition level along with his age, rose ever so slightly.Pacquiao on the other hand .......

 

I understand where the jab came from and nothing else.

Why would you want to engage me? Honestly not rhetorical, last time you interacted with me you didn't even read what I had to say you just got pissy over my presentation so why would you care to see that I've posted more words for you to not read?

Have you ever seen a healthy 110lb man who can't move? A slow, plodding, flyweight yeah? You don't because it takes like no energy for that sized human to move. Pac's never fought at a weight where that weight causes serious drains on energy. Pac's never had to learn to pace himself like a grown ass man because he's the size of a twelve year old.

I have no respect for HWs on p4p lists, especially HWs who rely on their size. Equally I have no respect for lighter guys being praised for movement and speed etc, that's not athletics or greatness it's a size advantage where there are meant to be no size advantages allowed. Wlad, using his size to its fullest, has no place on a lists of how great if size was not an issue. Pac using his size to its fullest has no place on a list of how great if size was not an issue.

To say that differently a hobbit who fights like a hobbit is just a hobbit not a particularly athletic man. A giant who fights like a giant is just a giant not a particularly powerful man.

Pac being able to bounce around like he's Bruce Lee over twelve is no more impressive than Foreman being able to KO early. Yeah, duh, look at him.

 

You have an "interesting" rational.

 

Roys competition isn his prime from 93-99 was not weak by any standard. As good as pacquiaos competition? No. But Johnson, montell griffin x2, bernard hopkins, thomas tate, james toney , mike mccallum and virgill hill among others is not bad at all. Yeah there were some bums mixed in but they were mandatories. Eric Lucas and Clinton Woods went on to win titles. Gonzalez who roy beat by winning every round and knocking him down 3 times, beat Michalcewski afterwards. Richard hall who roy also won every round against gave Michalcewski a good enough fight to warrant a rematch.

Only 34? Ali and Leonard, 2 guys with similar type of talent(speed reflexes athleticism) looked like dog poop at the same age. Leonard lost to norris at the same age, which is the reason i picked him as an example.
Tarver had a difficult style that Roy Jones never liked. Eric harding who beat tarver (and broke his ribs and Jaw) to get a title shot vs Roy in late 2000 was also a tall southpaw and roy had some trouble with him early also.

 

You realize that Pacquiao was naturally bigger than Barrera.

Pacquiao weighed in at 135 at bantamweight on fight night while Barrera weighed in at 130 at featherweight on fight night. You do realize this, right?

 

RJJ in my book and I have been watching boxing well over 30 years.